[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 50 (Wednesday, April 29, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H2442]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   ELIMINATION OF ETHANOL PROGRAM A DEVASTATING BODY BLOW TO FARMERS

  (Mr. MINGE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. MINGE. Mr. Speaker, the spring of 1998 finds tens of thousands of 
American family farmers facing financial crisis. Agriculture is 
virtually the only sector of the economy to suffer a loss in 1997. The 
Republican farm bill has exacerbated this financial crisis.
  Now the House Republican transportation bill would eliminate our 
Nation's ethanol program. This is another devastating body blow to 
farmers. This will depress prices paid for corn and other feed grains 
and ruin the 20 plus farmer-owned ethanol producing cooperatives. It 
will also rob our country of the environmental and national security 
benefits of ethanol.
  Who benefits? Railroads get a tax break at the expense of farmers, 
the very railroads that provided atrocious service in 1997 and caused 
devastating losses to farmers and many other sectors of the economy. 
Who else? Big oil. They dispatch competition from a domestically 
produced renewable fuel. This is an unconscionable program.

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